Minister blames Russian military for costly global cyberattack

Russia was accused of launching the NotPetya ransomware attackROB ENGELAAR/EPA

Britain has blamed President Putin’s military for a global cyberattack that cost businesses hundreds of millions of pounds, in an unprecedented public rebuke.

Raising tensions between the countries, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the foreign office minister for cybersecurity, accused Russian military intelligence of launching the NotPetya attack last June that crippled government IT systems in Ukraine. The malware spread across 64 other countries, including the UK.

It is thought to be the first time that the government has publicly blamed Russia for a specific global cyberattack. The Foreign Office said that the decision underlined “the fact that the UK and its allies will not tolerate malicious cyberactivity”.

Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, said: “We have entered a new era of warfare, witnessing a destructive and…